Due to low coefficient of thermal expansion and high thermal conductivity, tungsten-copper composites can effectively transmit heat generated by the integrated circuit, thus prolonging the life of the circuit. Copper-coated tungsten composite powders help to improve the overall performance of tungsten-copper composites. Copper-coated tungsten powders were prepared by intermittent electrodeposition. The effects of different plating time on composite powder surface morphology, thickness, copper content and copper plating deposition rate were investigated, and simultaneously the formation mechanism of copper plating layer was also studied. The analysis results show that tungsten copper composite powders prepared by intermittent electrodepositon are the core-shell structure of copper-coated tungsten, the copper coating is uniform, dense, and the surface roughness is small; in the conditions of current density 1.7 A/dm(2), the average coating thickness is 0.69 and 1.96 mu m, copper content 9.97% and 23.76%, deposition rate 36.91 and 41.34 mg.min(-1) when electroplated for 30 and 75 min, respectively. Coating thickness and deposition rate increase with the increase of plating time; the copper plating layer nucleation and growth follow the Volmer-Weber mode.